Chapter 1242: Heavenly Dao's Wrath

“What’s happening?”

The Conferred God Stage was completely filled with alarm. The sky grew darker and darker; even with the heightened vision of these divine profound practitioners, it was almost impossible to see one's hand in front of their face. An incredibly oppressive and stifling aura pressed down from above, becoming heavier and heavier, causing everyone’s souls to convulse uncontrollably amidst the suffocation.

It was a terrifying sensation, as if the entire firmament was about to collapse and devour all worlds.

Everyone on the Conferred God Stage stood up, looking heavenward, their hearts and souls filled with terror. This sudden, dreadful phenomenon of black clouds obscuring the sky was something none of them, not to mention the younger profound practitioners, but even the various God Emperors and Dragon Monarchs, had ever witnessed.

“Mo Yu, Mo Wen, Mo Zhi, what kind of natural phenomenon is this?” The Eternal Heaven God Emperor’s brows furrowed deeply as he asked the Three Elders of Heavenly Mystery.

The Three Elders of Heavenly Mystery, however, were unresponsive to the Eternal Heaven God Emperor’s words. All three stared blankly at the firmament churning in the darkness, the horror gathered in their pupils far surpassing that of others by more than tenfold.

As the Three Elders of Heavenly Mystery, they were the closest individuals in the entire God Realm to the Heavenly Way. They had spent their lives observing heavenly secrets and had witnessed countless natural phenomena. Furthermore, the Divine Records of Heavenly Mystery in the Heavenly Mystery Realm recorded all natural phenomena that had occurred since the God Realm’s inception.

But the phenomenon before them was something they had never seen or heard of; there was no record of it in the Divine Records of Heavenly Mystery. What truly filled them with utter terror was the power of the Heavenly Way, which felt almost within reach.

Forcibly prying into heavenly secrets would inevitably incur heavenly wrath; thus, people from the Heavenly Mystery Realm had extremely short lifespans. While they could peer into heavenly secrets, they also revered the Heavenly Way more than anyone else. And never in their lives had they felt the presence of the Heavenly Way’s power so clearly as they did at this moment.

The power of the Heavenly Way, which was originally ethereal and elusive, was now swirling and churning directly above them, seemingly tangible.

Thud…

The three elders, Mo Yu, Mo Wen, and Mo Zhi, suddenly knelt down at the same time, their bodies prostrated on the ground, trembling incessantly.

The unusual behavior of the Three Elders of Heavenly Mystery slightly alarmed the Eternal Heaven God Emperor. At that moment, a profound light flashed on his body, and a distant telepathic message reached him. His face suddenly changed, and he let out a low roar, “What did you say!?”

That the dignified Eternal Heaven God Emperor would utter such a startled sound caused all the God Emperors, Star Gods, Moon Gods, and Guardians to immediately turn their gazes. The Dragon Monarch whispered, “What happened?”

The Eternal Heaven God Emperor’s chest heaved heavily. He spoke in an incredibly low tone: “These strange black clouds are not only in my Eternal Heaven Realm, but also extending east to the Divine Sea, west to the Flying Star… All star realms reachable by telepathic messages are covered in black clouds; nothing can be seen!”

“It’s highly likely that the entire Eastern Divine Region… has been engulfed by black clouds!”

“What!?” The Eternal Heaven God Emperor’s words struck terror into all the profound practitioners on the Conferred God Stage.

“This… what in the world is happening? Dragon Monarch, you have lived for three hundred and fifty thousand years; have you ever witnessed such a phenomenon?” The Brahma Heaven God Emperor said gravely.

“…” The Dragon Monarch slowly shook his head.

“It’s the Heavenly Way… the Heavenly Way is enraged!” Master Mo Yu, prostrated on the ground, cried out hoarsely. Every word carried a bone-deep tremor.

Rumbles————

The black clouds continued to churn and roll, constantly descending as they rolled. They heavily covered everyone’s heads and souls, causing them to completely suffocate amidst the irresistible oppressive palpitation.

The entire Eastern Divine Region was plunged into chaos and alarm. They gazed up at the pitch-black sky… the boundless black clouds seemed like an omen of the apocalypse.

Under extreme horror, everyone had long forgotten where they were; they forgot that it was the final battle of the Conferred God War.

Thump…Thump…Thump…Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump…

Yun Che’s eyes were dim. Although his consciousness was fading, for some reason, the sound of his heart beating was incredibly clear.

The profound energy in his profound veins had completely vanished; he could no longer even feel the presence of his profound veins. But at that moment, he suddenly felt a wisp of profound energy emerge from somewhere. However, this profound energy, clearly originating within his body, felt incredibly alien. It incessantly stirred and expanded, but was like a fierce beast locked in a cage, unable to escape. It could only struggle violently.

At the same time, a strange oppressive force enveloped his entire body. His consciousness was extremely weak, yet he could still perceive the unparalleled terror of this pressure. Within the pressure, there was a mix of anger, shock, irritability… and perhaps even fear?

What… was… that…?

Yun Che’s dulled eyes stared blankly at the pitch-black sky above.

Less than ten steps in front of Yun Che, Luo Changsheng’s body, eyes, soul… every nerve and every strand of hair on his entire body was trembling madly.

He was closest to Yun Che. Reaching him would only take an instant. But his body, which had intended to move closer, was rigidly frozen in place. His half-raised foot became fixed mid-tremble… because an utterly terrifying sensation, whose origin was unknown, was telling him that if he took another half-step forward, he would plummet into an abyss of death, never to recover.

He retreated in terror. With each step back, the terrifying sensation lessened slightly. His retreating steps quickened, eventually becoming a frantic scramble away, but his entire body continued to tremble uncontrollably.

What exactly is going on? What happened?

“What ‘Heavenly Way enraged’? What does that mean?” The Eternal Heaven God Emperor asked gravely. Although his tone was as steady as he could make it, his gaze was already filled with turmoil.

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE————

A flash of purple light suddenly appeared.

In the dark and oppressive world, this flash of purple light undoubtedly instantly drew everyone’s attention. All gazes turned towards the source of the purple light. Directly above them, where two black clouds met, a bright purple lightning bolt appeared. Then came three, five, ten… a hundred… thousands of bolts… Countless lightning traces converged into a massive lightning domain.

“This… this is!?”

The sudden appearance of lightning traces and the lightning domain they formed was certainly not unfamiliar to the countless profound practitioners present.

Because… this was clearly the prelude to a lightning tribulation, which one must encounter when breaking through the Divine Tribulation Realm bottleneck!

Mortals cultivating to become gods would inevitably incur heavenly wrath. Aside from the special “inheritances” that allowed royal realms to ascend in one step, whether human, demon, beast, or spirit, anyone seeking to break through to the Divine Tribulation Realm would surely face punishment from the Heavenly Way. Successfully enduring it would allow them to achieve the Divine Spirit Realm. Failing to endure it would result in being crippled at best, or death at worst.

In the God Realm, large numbers of practitioners underwent lightning tribulations daily. Thus, in the upper echelons of the God Realm, lightning tribulations were already commonplace, not surprising in the slightest.

But…

In the understanding of God Realm practitioners, the prelude to a lightning tribulation involved a small area of thunderclouds gathering above the practitioner seeking to break through. These clouds would then form a lightning domain and unleash the tribulation. Ordinary practitioners typically gathered thunderclouds covering about ten li. At most, it would be a few dozen li. They had at least never heard of any practitioner whose thunderclouds exceeded a hundred li.

Yet the black clouds overhead were blotting out the sky and sun, engulfing the entire Eastern Divine Region, resembling a precursor to the apocalypse. How could they possibly be tribulation clouds?

Therefore, after that fleeting thought crossed their minds, it was immediately extinguished by everyone. Although it was very similar, it absolutely could not be the prelude to a lightning tribulation.

So what exactly was this purple lightning domain appearing within the sky-obscuring black clouds?

The black clouds were descending, and the lightning domain was also descending. As the lightning domain got lower and lower, the increasingly heavy might of the Heavenly Way pressed down on everyone’s hearts and souls. Everyone gradually realized in horror that directly beneath the center of the lightning domain was Yun Che!

Yun Che was barely breathing and motionless. His entire body, from flesh to blood, was completely bathed in the purple light of the lightning domain. In this world where all light was obscured, he appeared particularly dazzling.

Everything, absolutely everything, was identical to the prelude of a Heavenly Way lightning tribulation.

“Yun Che’s profound strength… is precisely… at the peak of the Divine Tribulation Realm…” The Eternal Heaven God Emperor murmured, “Could it… could it really be…?”

“No, absolutely impossible.” The Moon God Emperor looked up at the sky. “How could this possibly be just a lightning tribulation? Even if an ancient devil god descended, it wouldn’t be this…”

A world-shaking crack suddenly resounded from above. A lightning bolt streaked across, seemingly intent on tearing the entire firmament in two. A brilliant purple lightning bolt suddenly converged within the lightning domain, continuously emitting a terrifying hiss.

“Heavenly… Heavenly Tribulation Lightning!?”

Countless practitioners cried out in alarm at that moment. Even the various God Monarchs were all showing expressions of horror, their gazes fixed.

This unique lightning radiance… this peculiar lightning aura… was unmistakably the Heavenly Tribulation Lightning they were all too familiar with!

“R-r-r-really a lightning tribulation?” A Mid-Realm King stammered.

“No! Impossible. How could such a world-shattering phenomenon be merely a lightning tribulation…? This lightning tribulation must merely be happening coincidentally.”

“Right, right! That must be it! Huh? Wait! Yun Che is clearly severely injured and his profound energy is exhausted. This is clearly the least likely time for a breakthrough. How could he possibly attract a lightning tribulation at this moment?”

“With a lightning tribulation descending in this state, wouldn’t he be doomed to die?”

The black clouds engulfing the Eastern Divine Region… the lightning domain suddenly appearing above Yun Che…

These two things, they would not, and dared not, connect in any way.

“Dragon Monarch, in your opinion… could these black clouds… be tribulation clouds?”

The Eternal Heaven God Emperor asked, his voice incredibly slow.

“…” The Dragon Monarch looked up at the sky, silent for a long time… or perhaps dared not answer.

The lightning domain continued to descend. The Heavenly Tribulation Lightning gathered within it also grew increasingly dense. All of its light and aura were firmly concentrated on Yun Che’s body.

The people from the Snow Song Realm were already all stunned in place. They stared blankly at Yun Che, whose entire body was covered in purple light. Mu Bingyun’s expression finally changed drastically at this moment. “This is bad!”

“Yun Che!” she cried out softly, moving to step forward. But Mu Huanzhi instantly stopped her. “Don’t go! If that truly is Yun Che’s lightning tribulation, you should know that no one can stop or interfere with it!”

Heavenly Way Tribulation Lightning was a punishment for those cultivating to become gods, and also a test. One could prepare for it with high-grade spirit medicines, profound artifacts, profound arrays, and other means before undergoing the tribulation. This was also why star realms of higher planes had a higher success rate in passing their tribulations. But one absolutely could not rely on external forces to interfere. Otherwise, not only would it not help at all, but the interfering party would also suffer heavenly wrath.

Mu Bingyun said urgently, “The Sect Master repeatedly warned that Yun Che’s talent is extraordinary, and if he were to break through the Divine Tribulation, he would definitely attract multiple lightning tribulations. Therefore, he must never take that step on his own; she had to personally make full preparations for him. How could it… how could it suddenly happen at a time like this…”

CRACK!!

Lightning flashed violently, thunder rent the air. A bolt of Heavenly Tribulation Lightning tore through the firmament, striking directly at Yun Che.

“Ah!!”

The Conferred God Stage erupted in cries of alarm, countless sounds of horror. In the understanding of God Realm practitioners, Heavenly Tribulation Lightning would typically appear for about a hundred breaths. This seemed like the Heavenly Way’s mercy, granting practitioners a hundred breaths for preparation. But this suddenly descending bolt of Heavenly Tribulation Lightning had appeared for a mere less than five breaths!

“Yun Che!” Mu Bingyun’s icy eyes contracted, and she let out a single cry of alarm.

“Changsheng, retreat!!” Luo Guxie also let out a roar.

Reverend Quhui reacted extremely quickly. He instantly retracted the barrier of the Conferred God Stage. A surge of profound energy swept directly at Luo Changsheng, carrying him far away.

BOOM!!

The Heavenly Tribulation Lightning struck Yun Che’s body. A thousand-zhang purple light exploded centered around Yun Che’s body, releasing the unapproachable, undeniable divine might of the Heavenly Way.

“Yun… Yun Che…” Mu Bingyun’s face lost all color, and her delicate body swayed as if about to fall.

He was already on the verge of death. How could he possibly withstand such power from the Heavenly Way? The only outcome would be to be reduced to ashes…

CRACK!!!!

Before everyone could react, the firmament suddenly thundered and roared again. Two bolts of Heavenly Tribulation Lightning struck simultaneously from the lightning domain, falling directly onto Yun Che.

BOOM————

The Heavenly Way Lightning that had engulfed Yun Che had not even slightly dissipated when an even denser and more terrifying purple light exploded again.

“Wh-what!?”

“This is… the second lightning tribulation?”

“Th-th-this… what in the world is going on?”

The greater one’s innate talent, the stronger the lightning tribulation they would face. Ordinary practitioners typically only endured one layer of lightning tribulation. Those who encountered two layers were already extraordinarily talented. Three layers were extremely rare; each such person was bound to be a genius who shook the region. Those who faced four layers were as rare as phoenix feathers or qilin horns; if they didn’t die young, they would certainly become Divine Sovereigns or God Monarchs in the future. As for five layers, calling them “once in a millennium” would not be an exaggeration. And those who faced six layers… in the million-year history of the God Realm, there had only been one.

Given Yun Che’s performance on the Conferred God Stage, no one would find it strange if he attracted multiple lightning tribulations when breaking through to the Divine Tribulation Realm—three layers, or even four. Even five layers would not overly surprise people.

However, when multiple lightning tribulations descended, there would typically be an interval of about ten breaths between each layer. Although not long, this was an extremely valuable and crucial opportunity to recover.

Yet, Yun Che’s second lightning tribulation descended suddenly, just half a breath after the first!

CRACK!!!!!!

Everyone’s shock and doubt had not yet subsided. Immediately following the second layer of Heavenly Tribulation Lightning that had just exploded, the firmament was torn apart by lightning once more. Heavenly Tribulation Lightning struck again amidst everyone’s utter horror, as if seeing ghosts… and this time, there were four bolts of lightning!

The third lightning tribulation!Within a single breath, three layers of lightning tribulation, seven bolts of Heavenly Tribulation Lightning!

Towards mortals, the Heavenly Way still showed mercy. But at this moment, it seemed to be incredibly impatient and resolute in its desire to wipe him from existence.